REVIEW: Blue Man Group’s “Three”

This week, the Blue Man Group, the eccentric group of men with blue facepaint and dull gray clothing, have released a studio album of their latest work. The music renews the classic sounds of the group, which centers around heavy percussion and the use of PVC pipes in various ways. The album dropped on Thursday, featuring 14 new tracks.

Blue Man Group performs with paint during a media preview on Thursday, March 31, 2016, in Singapore where they will start their world tour to mark the founding of their group 25 years ago. Blue Man Group was started by three friends in New York in 1991 as a way to celebrate the human spirit through music, science, art and theater. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Two of the tracks, including “Hex Suit,” were released as singles, and offer some of the most unique sounds on the new album. Songs like “The Forge” are more classic Blue Man Group tracks, with the heavy PVC pipe providing percussion and bass all at the same time while also being the lead instrument of the song. The familiar announcer voice featured in many of their live shows makes a return on the track “3 to 1” and a new voice narrates life with robots in the song “Robots.”

The album is solid, with the group adding some new sounds to their arsenal while still keeping their distinct vision of what music should sound like. “The Forge” is arguably the best track on the album, but “Hex Suit” is a unique feature that shows they can still find new sounds and melodies to create with unorthodox instruments. Overall, the album is a solid 8/10.

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Yes, I know the group cancelled shows in North Carolina over the transgender bathroom bill, and I am aware that will taint a lot of readers’ views of the group. However, this post is merely meant to judge the group on the merits of their music, not the merits of their political views.